Going vegan

So three weeks ago I went vegan.

I won’t lie, it was appealing for the health benefits. I regularly get bloated and feel gassy during the day, I hoped going vegan would solve this issue and allow me to stay in good shape without having to constantly worry about tracking calories throughout the day, exercising regularly (especially when work is busy) and feeling bad about eating certain foods. Now don’t get me wrong, I know there are plenty of unhealthy Vegan substitutes and we can still have deep fried food which is never going to be great. But as the options are now limited it would be a great lifestyle change.

The more I looked into veganism, the more reasons I found that it was for me. From the huge increase to our carbon footprint, the damage to our environments and the widely known cruelty that is faced by these animals every day. After watching documentaries and reading books, I felt going vegan was the only option. There are a lot of shows that you can watch on netflix such as Cowspiracy (you can do your own research on whether you believe everything that is said or not) I do have a few issues with some of the statistics however I get the directors overall point and I thought the documentary was an interesting watch.

So, for me this change would be for the better. I knew I would have to research recipes and plan my meals to get the most out of it and have the best hope of staying vegan. I am trying to eat wholefoods as much as possible and avoid the growing range of vegan substitutes that may not be the best. Although I have recently bought some vegan ice cream for those times when you need a treat. So far I have found a lot of sweet potato recipes, which I am loving. I eat vegetables with nearly every meal. For breakfast I still have cereal and milk. Maybe a hot drink on the side. For lunch I’ll have either left over dinner from the evening before or I’ll make a Quinoa salad with Butternut squash, Peppers, Sweetcorn, Spinach and rockets, Carrots and Cucumber, with plenty of seasoning. I tend to pack my lunch box so I can feel full for the rest of the day. And since going vegan I have not felt hungry, I have not snacked as much during the day. When I am at work I have a pot of dried fruit and nuts, I always used to finish it and whatever snack bar I had bought with me. Now I probably get about half way through the pot. Having the nuts there is also an easy way to get protein in the diet.

During the first week and a half I noticed a lot more bloating than usual. And a lot of gas. However, I did some reading and saw that this is due to the extra fibre that I am consuming. My body just needed time to get used to it. I was a bit worried at first, as I thought this was the reason why I’m going vegan and it doesn’t seem to be working. I also tried to drink at least 2 litres of water a day to help solve the problem as quick as possible.

And today, my bloating and gas has stopped completely. It has been replaced with a food baby after eating but I’m fine with that as is doesn’t last all day. I don’t feel heavy after eating meals even though I am full, which I love. I’ve started exercising again, as I have gained this extra energy. Overall I’m very happy at this stage and I can’t wait to see the long term benefits to my body. I have noticed I spend less money on food. Especially by not ordering in. I have been to What The Pitta at Box Park and that was a great experience in my first week of going vegan.

So far there haven’t been any family members /friends who have been against my change in diet. My mother’s main concern was with what I was going to eat at Christmas, but apart from that she’s been very supportive. Making sure I have hummus and crackers that are suitable for vegans when I come down. She even still makes me dinner on a Sunday. I was given stuffed peppers last Sunday which was delicious.

I think in the end going vegan will not only help the environment, but I will not be contributing to the death of animals and I will be having a healthy diet at the same time.

Now, I am excited of continue this journey and I can’t wait to try new recipes and look into more ways that I can help the environment.

If anyone has any tips, recipes, suggestions that they think could help me out I would love to hear them.

Enjoyed your post, it sounds like we are on a similar journey, I have been vegan 90% of the time for the past (almost) 3 weeks, the other 10% vegetarian, but aiming for 100% vegan lifestyle. I too am getting very bloated, but know this is a common side effect and doesn’t last forever, hearing yours has gone, gives me hope.

Oh I am definitely continuing, just feel like the other option is a big no no for me now. I drink tons of water, I planned to do a gradual change, but have virtually changed my diet overnight, I am hoping it is my body detoxing 🙂

I know the feeling. Once you get the idea in your head. It’s like you should start as soon as possible. It sounds like your body is detoxing. So maybe give it a few more weeks and if it still hasn’t changed look into the foods that you are eating, and avoid any foods that are known to cause bloating and gradually add them back into your diet.